Electric signaling apparatus.



No. 642,37). Patented lan.y 30, i900. H. W. SOUDER.

ELECTRIC SIGNALING APPARATUS.

(Application filed Aug. 2B, 1899.)

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ELECTRIC SIGNALING APPARATUS.

(Application filed Aug. 28, 1899.)

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No. 642,379, Patented 1an. 30, |900. H. W. SUD-ER. 'ELECTRIC SIGNALINQAPPARATUS.

(Application tiled Aug. 2B. 189951 A 4 Sheets-5heet 4 ATTORNEYWITNESSES:

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PATENT ELECTRIC SIG NALING APPARATUS.

srncrricn'r'ion fofning part of Letters Patent No. 642,3'79, dated'tammy so, ieoo.

I Application filed August 28, 1899. Serial No. 728.7577. (No modell) Toall whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HOWELL W. SOUDER, a citizen of the'United States ofAmerica, and a resident of Tama'qua, county of Schuylkill,

State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvementsin Electric Signaling Apparatus, of which the following is aspecification.

-My invention relates to electric signaling apparatus generally, andmore specifically consists of an improved block-signalapparatus capableof use on single-track electric railways and especially designed toguard both ends of the sections of track between turnout-s.

The broad idea of my invention is to have a signal at the end of eachsection of track, or near the end of each section of track, the twosignals for each section being operated simultaneouslyand shifted todanger when a car goes onto that section and shifted to safety when acar goes off the section. At the same time that the signals on the saidsection are operated those on adjacent ends of the neighboring sectionsof track are illuminated, so that the motorman can ltell what thecondition of the signals on the section ahead of him is, and therebydetermine whether to stay on the turnout between said sections or toproceed on his way.

In carrying out the broad idea of my invention numerous different ,formsof apparatus may be employed; but the preferred form of apparatus, withone or two modifications, is illustrated in the accompanying four sheetsof drawings, in which- Figure l is a diagrammatic View of a single-trackroad with my signals and their operating-circuits in position. Fig. 2 isa halfelevation and half-section of a signal-lantern with the preferredform of signal apparatus therein. Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the saidapparatus removed from the signal-lantern. Fig. 4 is a plan View, andFig. 5 is a side elevation and partial section, of the preferred form ofcontact-making or current-supplying device for operating the signal.Fig. 6 is a cross-section of the same.Y Figs. 7 and 8 are cross-sectionsof modifications.

Throughout the drawings like reference-figures refer to like parts.

A single-track road, such as represented in Fig. 1, has a number ofturnouts 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, and 11 connected by a series of singletracksections 2, 4, 6, 8, and 10. These sections are shown broken away in themiddle to indicate that they are of much greater length than theturnouts, said sections being of course sometimes a mile in length,while the turnouts do not average more than a hundred feet in length.The trolley-wire 12 furnishes the power to drive the electric cars andall the current to operate my system of signals.V For the latterpurposes it has a series of current-supplying devices at tached to itopposite the ends of each section of track, as shown at 2 2b, 4n4b, 6a6b, Sa 8b, and 10iL 10b. Frein these current-supplying points feed-wiresrun to the signalcircuits 13, 14, 15,16, 17, 18, and 19. Thesesignal-circuits are grounded at each end of each circuit and thecurrent-supply is delivsv ered to the central portion of thecircuit,where it splits and reaches the ground by passing through thetwo halves of the circuit. Thus one ground connection of the circuit 13is shown at 20, and one ground connection of the circuit 14 is shown at2 1. The ground connections of the circuit 15 are shown at 22 and 23,and those of the circuit 16 are shown at 24 and 25. The two groundconnections for the circuit 17 are shownat 26 and 27, one of those forcircuit 18 is shown at 28, and one of those for circuit 19 is shown at29.

At or near the end of each track-section I locate a signal apparatus, asindicated at 30, 3l, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, and 39, which consistsof an automatically-shifting signal and apluralityof lamps forilluminating the same.

The details of the shifting apparatus and connections I will describehereinafter; but for the purposes of the present description will statethat each signal-station contains a shifting apparatus operated by asolenoid and preferably two lamps for illuminating the same, theshifting apparatus being represented in Fig. 1 by the small rectanglewithin Y the larger rectangle,which represents the lantern, and the twolamps being represented by small circles. The lamps and the solenoid areso connected that in case of any one tracksection, as section 6, thesolenoid and one lamp in the signal apparatus at 34 and 35,10- cated ator near the ends of the track-section,

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are connected together, preferably in series, and from thesesignal-stations the circuit of the signal-wire 16 runs through anindependent lamp in the signal-stations 33 and 36, located at or nearthe adjacent ends of the neighboring track-sections 4 and 8. In the sameway the signal-circuit 15 of track-section 4 extends through thesolenoid and one lamp in each of the stations 32 and 33, guarding theends of that track-section, and then extends on through the independentlamp in each of the signal-stations 31 and 34, guarding the adjacentends of track-sections 2 and 6. Similarly the signal-circuit 17 oftracksection Sextends through the lamp and solenoid in thesignal-stations 36 and 37, guarding the ends of said track-section 8,and then eX- .tends on to the independent lamps in the stations 35 and3S, guarding the adjacent ends of the track-sections 6 and 10. Theconnection from each of the contact or current-supplying points 6 and 6bto the signal-circuit 16 is made at points intermediate of thesignal-stations 34 and 35, corresponding to the ends of thetrack-section In the same way the connections from all the othercurrentsupplying points are made to the central portion of thesignaling-circuits, so that Whenever current is supplied it will reachthe signal-circuit at a point such that the current must pass throughtwo signaling-stations in each direction before reaching the ground.

I will now describe more in detail the features of the different piecesof apparatus which operate or are operated by the abovedescribedelectrical connections. Each signal consists of an ordinarysignal-lantern 41, which may be attached to a trolley-pole by a bracket40. (Shown broken away in Fig. 2.) Vithin this lantern is mounted thesignaling apparatus, which consists, brieiiy, of a rotatable drum havingalternate panes of red and colorless glass, a solenoid or other electricengine for giving partial rotation to said drum sufficient to shift thepanes of glass from red to white, dac., two or more lamps within saiddrum, and electric connections for operating the electric engine vandfor lighting up the lamps. Thisapparatusispreferablymounted on a signalbed-frame 42, so that it may be slipped in and out of the lantern 41 asa whole when the electric connections are broken. On this bed-frame 42are uprights 43 44, which support fixed hollow journals 45 and 46. Onthe journal 45 is a ratchet-wheel 47, having teeth provided with doublefaces 47 471. The upright 43 is continued on upward and supportssolenoid 43, preferably made in double form, as shown in Fig. 3,andprovided with a double core 49, from the lower cross-piece of whichis pivotally supported the double feed-pawl and stop 50, whichcooperates with the ratchet-wheel 47. This piece 50 has one finger 50operating as a feed-pawl, and one, 50, operating as a stop. Rgidlyconnected with the ratchet-wheel 47 is a rotatable drum 51, which ismounted on the fixed journals 45 and 46 and has alternate panes of redglass, as shown at 52, (see Fig. 3,) and panes of colorless glass oropen spaces 53. Within the drum and supported from the fixed journals 45and 46 is the supporting-strip 54, preferably made in the U shape shownin Fig. 2, so that the lower portion thereof is just clear of the wallof the surrounding rotating drum. This supporting-strip carries two ormore incandescent electric lamps, as shown at 55 and 56.

The electric connections for the signaling apparatus are as follows: Afeed=wire 57 passes through the hollow journal 45 and connects with thelamp 56, thence passing out through the hollowjournal 46 and out of thelantern to the signal-circuit connection 6l, the other end of the wire57 being cond ucted to ground by being connected to the trolley-pole orin any other suitable manner. The wire 58 also passes through the hollowjournal 45 and connects with lamp 55,thence passingout through thejournal 46 and being conducted to the ground in any suitable manner. Theother end ot' wire 58 is joined by binding-screws to the wire 59, whichruns through the solenoid 43 and thence out to the signal-circuitconnection 60. Lamps 55 and 56 are ordinary incandescent electric lampsof proper voltage and have the cut-out keys 62 62, by which they maybethrown out of operation, if desired.

The current-supplying or contact-making apparatusillustrated in Figs. 4to 6, inclusive, is composed of one or more inverted- U-shaped frames 6363a, supported on the trolley-wire 12, but insulated therefrom by theinsulating material 64 or other form of insulating hanger. Upon thelower ends of the U-shaped frames are supported contact-rails 6565a,which have their outer ends preferably curved each away from theother, so as to guide the trolley-pole 66 in between them and insure agood rubbing contact of said rails 65 65a againstsaid trolley-pole. Tothis frame 63 is connected a signal feed-wire 67. Various modificationsof this contact-making device may be ernployed. For instance, in Fig. 7I show a slab of insulating material 68, which may be of vulcanite orsimilar substance, supported to one side of the trolley-wire 12 andcarrying on its opposite face a metal contact-strip 69, to which thesignal feed-wire 67 may be connected by the binding-screw, as shown. InFig. S I have substituted an oval-shaped mass 70, of vulcabeston,intowhich both the trolley- Wire 12 and the metallic contact-strip 71 may bemolded. In the construction shown in Figs. 7 and 8 the wheel of thetrolley 66 bridges over the space between the trolley-wire and thecontact-strip and conveys the current from one tothe other.

The mode of operation of my invention is as follows: A trolley-carrunning along the track, the trolley-pole coming in con tact with therails 65 and 65 (if the construction shown in Figs. 4 to 6 is used) willdeliver a part of IOO IIO

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the current derived from trolley-wire 12 to the frame 63 and signalfeed-wire 67. If one of the constructions shown in Figs. 7 and 8 isemployed, the trolley-wheel itself will bridge over the gap and supply asimilar current to the signaling-circuit through wire 67. Suppose thetrolley-car to be entering section 6 of the track, as indicated indotted lines in Fig. l. The motorman would not have entered said sectionfrom turnout 5 unless the signal 34 had shown a white light, indicatingthat section 6 was unoccupied. Signals 34: and 35 being simultaneous intheir action, the position of the trolley-car presupposes that signal 35also is in the position to show a white light. When the trolley passesthe current-supplying point 6, current passes from the trolley-wire l2through the feed-wire 67 to the circuit 16, whereit splits, one halfpassing through the lamp and solenoid in signal-station 34: and throughthe independent lamp in signal-station 33 and the other half passingthrough the lamp and solenoid in the signal-station 35 and through theindependent lamp insignal-station 36. The eect of this current is tomomentarily illuminate the lamps and also to draw up the cores 49 of thesolenoids in stations 34 and 35 into the position shown in dotted linesin Fig. 3. When the trolley runs off of the contact rail or strip andconnection is broken, the solenoids become dead and the cores drop. Thefeedpawl 50, engaging the face 471L of one of the teeth of theratchet-wheel, forces the drum 5l through one-eighth of a revolutionuntil the stop-pawl 50b meets the face 47" of another ratchet-tooth andchecks further rotation of the drum. The eifect of such action would be,of course, to brin g the pane of colored glass 52 opposite the lamps 55and 56 and the signal will show red at each end of the track-section 6,indicating that said section is occupied so long as the trolley-car ison it. When the trolley-car arrives at the right-hand end oftrack-section 6 and passes onto turnout 7, its trolley makes connectionat 6b and another current impulse will be sent through thesignaling-circuit 16, repeating the before-described operation, whichwill change signals 34 and 35 from red to white, indicating thattrack-section 6 is clear. At the same time the illumination of theindependent lamp in signal-station 3G will enable the motorman to tellwhether or not that signal is showing red or white, and consequentlywhether or not track-section 8 is occupied. It' occupied, he will remainon turnout 7 until the car on section S appears, if it is going in anopposite direction, or until the signal 36 changes to white as the cargoes off of section 8 onto turnout 9 if the car is going in the samedirection. The same operation occurs as each track-section is traversed,the signals guarding that section being set to danger as the car goes onto this section and set back to safety as the cargoes off, and thesignals on the adjacent ends of the neighboring tracksections beingilluminated, so that the motorman can always tell the condition of thesection ahead of him as he comes onto each turnout.

The advantages of my'invention consist in its small cost of installationand simplicity of construction and operation and also especially in thegreat saving in consumption of electric lamps, resulting from the factthat the lamps are only momentarily lighted at the time when themotorman wishes to read the signals instead of being kept continuouslyaglow both night and day. The system is a complete block system againstcars ap'- proaching either end of the section and affords the motormanaccurate information of the condition of each block and while he isstill on the turnoutbefore entering said block. Moreover, but onesignal-wire is required for each section of track.

Of course various changes could be made in the details of constructionillustrated without departing from the spirit and scope of my inventionso long as the relative arrangement of parts shown in the drawings orthe principle vof operation disclosed in the specification is preserved.More than two lamps may be employed in each signal-station, if desired.Other forms of electric engine for rotating the drum might besubstituted or the drum entirely done away with and other means ofproducing visual indications substituted. The means for obtainingcurrent from the trolleywire to operate the signals might be changed andthe exact location of the signal-stations varied within limits so lon gas the connection of each signal with the particular section of roadwhich it guards is still clear.

Having therefore described my invention, what I claim as new, and desireto protect by Letters Patent, is-

1. In an electric railroad signaling system the combination of aplurality'of track-sections, two automatic electrically-operated signalsfor each section of track located one near each end thereof, and meanswhereby the passage of a car onto or off ot' any particular section oftrack will shift the signals of said section and illuminate the signalsof the adjacent ends of the neighboring track-sections.

2. In an electric railroad signaling system the combination of aplurality of track-sections, two automatic electrically-operated signalsfor each section of track located one near each end thereof, and eachconsisting of a shifting device and two illuminating devices, anelectric circuit for each track-section including the shifting and anilluminating device in the signals for said section and an illuminatingdevice onlyin the adjacent signals of the neighboring track-sections,and current-supplying devices for said circuit located at either end ofthat particular tracksection and adapted to be operated by a passingcar.

3. In an electric railroad signaling system, the combination of aplurality of track-sec- IOO tions, turnouts between said sections,automatically-shiftin g signals located one near the end of eachtrack-section, and means whereby the passage of a car from section toturnout or from turnout to section will shift the signals near each endof that section and illuminate the signals near the adjacent ends of theneighboring sections.

4. In an electric railroad signaling system, the combination ot aplurality of track-sections, turnouts between said sections, signalslocated one near the end of each section, consisting of a shiftingdevice and two illuminat ing devices, an electric circuit for eachsection including the shifting and an illuminating device in the signalsnear the end of said section and an illuminating device only in thesignal near the adjacent ends of the neighboring sections, andcurrent-supplying devices for said circuit located at either end of thatparticular section and adapted to be operated by a passing car.

5. In an electric railroad signaling system, the combination of aplurality of track-sections, turnouts between said sections, signalslocated one near the end of each section consisting of a rotating drumof alternately-colored panes of glass, two electric lamps within saiddrum and electric means for partially rotating the drum in circuit withone of said lamps, anaelectric circuit for each section including therotating means and lamp in circuit therewith in the signals near theends of said section and the independent lamp in each of the signalsnear the adjacent ends of the neighboring sections, .andcurrent-supplying devices for said circuit located at either end of thatparticular track-section and adapted to be operated by a passing car.

6. In an electric railroad signaling system, the combination of aplurality of track-sections, turnouts between said sectio ns, signalslocated one near the end of each section consisting of a rotating drumof alternately-colored panes of glass, two electric lamps Within saiddrum and electric means for partially rocurrent-supplying devicesconsisting of conj tact-pieces normally insulated from the trolley-wirebut adapted to be put in circuit therewith by a bridging action of thetrolley of the passing car.

7. In an electric railroad signaling system, the combination of aplurality of track-sections, turnouts between said sections, signalslocated one near the end of each section consisting of a rotating drumof alternately-cob ored panes of glass, two electric lamps within saiddrum and electric means for partially ro'- tating the drum in circuitwith one of said lamps, an electric circuit for each section includingthe rotating means and lamp in circuit therewith in the signals near theends of said sections and the independent lamp in each of the signalsnear the adjacent ends of the neighboring sections, andcurrent-supplying devices forsaid circuit located at either end of thatparticular track -section and adapted to be operated by a passing car,said current-supplying devices consisting of contact-pieces normallyinsulated from the trolley-wire but adapted to be put in circuittherewith by a bridging action of the trolley of the passing car, bothsaid contacts connecting with the signaling-circuit at a point betweenthe signals corresponding to the ends of that track-section.

Signed by me at Tamaqua, Pennsylvania, this 22d day of August, 1599.

HOWELL W. SOUDER. llVitnesses:

C. S. SHINDEL, JOHN S. RANDALL.

